University of Michigan Creates Robotics Department
The University of Michigan has approved the creation of a robotics department. The new unit will establish robotics as a discipline, teaching students the skills needed to work in a rapidly expanding field.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in 2018 alone, annual demand for skilled robotics specialists grew by more than 13%. Global industrial and service robotics markets are expected to grow by more than 20% each year, reaching a combined market of $310 billion by 2025.
“By taking this bold step forward, we are ready to become a leader in robotics, meeting the growing national demand for roboticists with graduates prepared to develop justice-oriented solutions to societal problems”
Across the US, all engineering schools are watching the development of robotics and weighing whether to classify it as a separate discipline, apart from traditional fields such as mechanical engineering and computer science. Deciding that these are different things, the University of Michigan is using a rare opportunity to formalize the field and its goals.
“This is a turning point for robotics and for Michigan's role in its future. We will use the resources of the special department to accelerate our work on creating smart devices that serve society and respect humanity, from safe industrial robots and bipedal humanoids to inclusive prosthetics and autonomous vehicles. Our roboticists put people first, not technology. We proudly call this robotics”
The new department will take the form of the existing Robotics Institute, adding more opportunities and resources for students and faculty to advance the field of robotics. At present, the Robotics Institute has 30 core faculty members who span 14 departments and 42 affiliated departments from a wide range of fields, such as architecture and anthropology.
“The new robotics department will allow Michigan to hire outstanding experts in cutting-edge robotics research and development, train a new generation of roboticists, and have a broad impact on the state of Michigan and beyond. Creating this department expands the University of Michigan's ability to open new dimensions of human potential through robotics innovation”
Housed in the newly built Ford Motor Company robotics building, with an area of 12,450 m² and a cost of $75 million, the institute is currently accepting graduate students, and the first students enrolled in 2014. Today, more than 200 master's and doctoral students are studying there.
“Using the university's power worldwide, the new robotics department will truly transform the field while serving our students, supporting our faculty, and enhancing the cutting-edge research that defines our university”
In addition to giving the robotics department the ability to recruit and hire 15 more robotics experts over the next three to five years, one of the new department's goals is to create a four-year bachelor's degree. This should help close talent "bottlenecks" in Michigan's robotics field, including in in-demand areas such as computer vision and autonomous control.
Currently, earning a robotics degree from the University of Michigan requires a four-year bachelor's degree in a related discipline, followed by a two-year master's program in robotics.
Pilot undergraduate robotics courses began in 2020 and offer first-year topics such as computational linear algebra, robotic mechanisms, and an introduction to programming and artificial intelligence. Through an approach that robotics instructors call the slogan "coding is believing," they teach the fundamentals of engineering through robotics projects, focusing on students' core interests from the very first day.
Already reaching beyond Michigan, course developers are forming partnerships with institutions, including Morehouse College, that serve communities historically excluded from technology. Through this partnership, students take part in a multi-university community through courses developed jointly with the University of Michigan.
“As we develop our new curriculum for students, Michigan has a unique opportunity to define the discipline of robotics with a priority on both justice and excellence. Thanks to its leadership in robotics, Michigan has every opportunity to develop leaders, innovators, and contributors who will address the challenges of the 21st century”
